Posidonia Submersible Bridge

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Posidonia Bridge Loutraki

Apart the main road bridge that connects the Peloponnese with mainland Greece, there are two more sinking bridges in the Isthmus of Corinth. They are situated at both ends of the Canal and are unique in Greece as they are the only bridges to lower themselves under the water, to allow a passing boat to cross above them. The two bridges are submerged approximately 10,000 times every year. One is located in Posidonia, linking Corinth to Loutraki and the other in Isthmia. The Posidonia submersible bridge is the one with the most traffic as the inhabitants of the two cities use it daily in order to reduce the driving distance between the two cities. It is also the one with the largest tourist traffic, since thousands of tourists visit it and wait the bridge to submerge under the water and then emerge again once the vessel has sailed by.

The bridge is 33 meters long, 7 meters wide and has 2 traffic lanes. The maximum allowed uniform load is 300 kilograms/m². The vertical sinking speed of the bridge is four (4) meters/minute; therefore, the sinking or refloating procedure lasts about 3,5 minutes. The fixed policy is to sink the Bridges only when a ship passes through the canal, a procedure which for safety reasons begins 15 minutes before the ship approaches.